design date: kapa mua

sand dollar

two summers have gone by since the gorgeous quilted designs of kapa mua were featured on h|h and oahu readers finally have a chance to take a peek at the elegant island inspired blankets.

simply find your way to place, the nu'uanu atelier of interior designer & author kaui philpotts, which is hosting a summer exhibit featuring kapa mua quilts plus artwork from studio kaea and decorative island finds during its pacific interpretations show.

niho mano + feather cape

longtime readers may recall how san francisco designer michael pechinski distills traditional hawaiiana motifs and objects from the sea into kapa mua's modern bedding crafted with bold contemporary graphics with a delightful nod to the tropics. definitely crushworthy, no?

• where: place, 40 south school street, suite 100
• shop hours: mon to fri, 10a to 6p & sat, 10a to 4p

{mahalo amy!}

here comes the sun

happy earth day! put the islands' abundance of sun to good use with these stylish solar finds:

1 - outdoor spaces can light up the night with the soji lanterns, a solar makeover of a midcentury classic.

2 - the bogo flashlight has been languishing on my wishlist but waiting has finally paid off with the introduction of an updated version with even more bells and whistles. the best part is that for every solar flashlight purchased another is donated to villages in developing nations through the company's lights for good program.

3 - charge your gadgets while relaxing on the sand with reware's juice bag beach tote.

4/6 - ikea's summer offerings include its solar/led-powered, budget-friendly and stylish solig collection.
{via unplgged; click over to notcot for an in depth review}

5 - getting lost is no fun so install matter inc's solar house numbers to help guide visitors right to your door.

and, if you are so inclined, rinse off après-swim with a solar powered outdoor shower.

kaypee soh: pacific collection

new fern

oahu designer kaypee soh has returned with a fresh offering from his eponymous modern tropical home goods line! gather 'round and admire the lovely pacific collection which is filled with the designer's take on his island surroundings distilling the shapes of everything from plant life to rainfall into vibrant abstract pillow patterns.

pillows are made locally with the linen covers handprinted with naturally pigmented dyes. as an added bonus, the front and back panels feature coordinating colorways bringing a welcome mix of style to previously matchy matchy sofascapes.

water drop

coral

wave

an online shop is still in the works but orders can be placed via phone or email for readers who are unable to stop by so'mace (which is now the exclusive hawaii showroom for eco-friendly furniture line cisco brothers).

• where: 1115 young street, honolulu
• shop hours: mon - fri, 10a to 6p & sat, 10a to 3p

p.s. a shop blog recently made its debut filled with insider tips and staff picks.

area by design

area, the mid-century modern haven for island design geeks, is venturing out of chinatown and bringing a few of their mad men-era finds to design within reach tomorrow.

meet shopkeepers mark pei and travis flazer who will share tips on restoring furniture then pull up a chair for a screening of vintage footage of iconic designers charles and ray eames.

• when: thu, feb 19th - 6p to 8p
• where: dwr, ala moana studio

whale season

it's almost time for the whales to swim back north so with a little cut and paste and, voilà!, a show and tell of all the finds inspired by the planet's largest inhabitant collected over the past year. enjoy!

1 - teach your keiki all her abc's with strawberry luna's w is for whale print.

2 - the cheerful graphics of sirena con jersey's whale tote perk up a standard issue book bag.

3 - two trick pony's handscreened print takes your wall on a fanciful whale ride.

4 - elegantly designed magnetic whale tongs are a dinner party conversation starter.

5 - sterling silver is coaxed into a charming whale pendant.

6 - add a little whimsy to your entry with this playful whale tail door knocker.

7 - jot down notes on this cute whale chalkboard complete with blowhole chalk holder (also stocked at three potato four).

8 - show your gratitude with fugu fugu's 100% recycled big thanks note card.

9 - craft your own whale goodness with nikoart's handcrafted rubber stamp.

10 - announce your house number to the neighborhood with this fun-loving ode to moby.

11 - delight tiny sea explorers with eco-friendly little whales wallpaper by pottok prints.